When I was a kid, first listening to Chet I was fascinated by his subtle use of the Bigsby (and the "Vib-Rola" by Kaufman at the end of his phrases. I wanted a guitar with a Bigsby in the worse way and could not afford one (a Gretsch Tenesseean) until I was twenty one.

I took to it immediately and got a stationary bracket a year or so later and bent my own handle out of 1/4" rod after looking closely at Chet photos.

It seems so strange to see YouTube clips of people who go through so much trouble to have their guitars "look just like Chet's" but never ever seem to apply the Bigsby to their music.

It isn't just for novelty dips, like Craig demonstrated in the Trambone song. The thing was made so the guitarist, like the steel guitarist, could add a little vibrato at the end of their musical phrases just like a good singer does. Chet used vibrato tailpieces a lot until his later years when he got into nylon strung guitars

Paul Bigsby's gadget has the potential of really sweetening up one's music if people would get acquainted with it a little more like Craig describes in the first part of his vid

...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

I agree with Norm. I also like the very first thing Craig did in the video when he was slurring into the note. That may not be the proper term but doing the ad lib part of Trambone he would slur into the first note, which gives an effect that can only be done with the vibrato. Chet was the master in putting all of this together to sweeten every note.

Wonderful illustrations, Craig. Chet had so many little "secrets" that made him what he was. My generation has been so lucky in growing up listening in wonderment to the greatest that ever lived. There will never be another like him.

I agree with you, Richard. More and more people either have or are discovering Chet after he has left us. Those of us who were exposed to him early in life and have had a chance to see him in concert and have possibly even interacted with him are more fortunate than we ever knew at the time. While I was growing up listening to him I always felt like he'd be with us forever. It has felt like a great loss to me since he left us but I'm glad for the personal memories as well as for the information left behind by those who also had their own stories to share. Chet had so many facets to who he was and the particular combination of all of these will never be duplicated.

I've always been intrigued by Chet's left hand vibrato. It's a kind of circular motion, very different from most players. (You can see it in the Snowbird video.) I asked him about it once, and he said it came from playing the fiddle. I also noticed that Nato Lima had the same kind of circular motion, so he may have been an influence as well. Nato's vibrato, on a scalloped fingerboard, was an incredible sound. Another master of left-hand vibrato is Mark Knopfler, who can apply vibrato to double stops and even chords as easily as he can to single notes.

A Bigsby is something I've always dreamed of having. I have always thought it would be wonderful to be able to do those sweet vibrato effects that Chet so easily did. They are sprinkled throughout all his recordings if one is careful to listen.

Anyway, I've always wanted to afford one of Chet's pure electrics. But they are way out of my reach. I'm pretty fortunate to have my nylon string electric, so I can't complain, but still the option of a Bigsby would be so cool.